Get over it, or fire me
by writingalone
Summary: Mackenzie McHale is tired of the way Will McAvoy has been treating her. Newsroom. Post-Blackout I
1. Chapter 1

It had been a few months after the crew celebrated its first year and the simultaneous death of Bin Laden—which also meant it had been a year since Will saw Mac again after three long years. The first year had gone better than he had expected. After the ratings leveled out and the Rudy moment, they seemed to have found a solid rhythm of making the news.

Then Will had to go and fuck it all up again by choosing Mac's ex-boyfriend to write a story on Newsnight 2.0. The month Brian spent at the studio was pure torture for Mac and Will knew it. He could see it on her face every time Brian walked by or she saw him in Will's office. Brian was right when he told her that while he may be a d-bag, he would never have shoved an ex-boyfriend in her face as punishment. After Brian bid farewell to the crew, things hadn't gotten much better.

It was the final week leading into the show's summer hiatus vacation, and it had been a testy one. Mac and Will were arguing more than usual while on and off the air. Their screaming matches had become more personal and less about the news, with sarcastic comments becoming few and far between. Everyone knew it was because of Brian-they were journalists and had figured that one out pretty quickly.

That final week Mac was distant and barely wore her headset in the control room. Will wasn't listening to a word she said, anyway. He repeatedly ripped his earpiece out when she was giving instructions, muttering that he wasn't a fucking idiot and didn't need her yapping at him all the time. Mac didn't even enter the control room for the final show. She gave Jim her headset and sat her in office, watching the news.

Mac sat alone in her office, with a bottle of scotch and two tumbler glasses. She stared at the bottle, and poured herself a glass. She slammed it back, despite it not being her favorite. But, after being embedded for years, she had grown accustomed to some pretty toxic alcohol. She poured herself another and walked into Will's office. She took a piece of paper from his desk and wrote: "get over it, or fire me."

Mac was still in her office sipping on what was third round of scotch. She was staring at the wall when Will walked by her, tearing off is his tie and yelling her to get her non-British ass into his office. Mac didn't move from her position until she was sure he had read her note, which became obvious when he screamed her full name to come to his office and ordered the remaining crew to get the hell out of the building.

Mac got up tentatively, straightened herself out, and brought the bottle of scotch and two glasses with her. She sat down in his chair without saying a word and stared at him. He stared right back. It was a battle to see who would give in first. It wasn't going to be Mackenzie. She kept sipping her drink and as the contest continued, she leaned farther back into her chair—an act of defiance on her part.

"Damnit, Mac, can you at least pour me a drink before we continue this pissing match?"

Mackenzie slammed the bottle and glass onto his desk. "Have as much as you want. I took it from your office anyway."

"Thanks," he responded with sarcasm.

"Don't mention it", Mac replied snarkily.

Will lit a cigarette and caught up quickly to Mac in terms of drinks.

"Will, what the hell is the matter with you?"

"Me? You're the one…"

"Yes, Will, we've all heard it. 'I'm the one who cheated on you.' But you're the one who brought Brian here and tortured us both for a month. You are the one who continues to keep the two of us in purgatory. It has now been almost four years! So, as I said, get the fuck over it or fire me," she screamed.

He screamed right back. "I would LOVE to get the image of you and him out of my head. Trust me. I would love nothing more than to have never have known about it at all. Am I over you having embarrassed me with the entire country with an email about how you cheated on me? Or you cheating on me all the while I was preparing to propose? You want me to get over it? How, multiple Peabody winning EP, do you suggest I do that?"

Both were silent. She could see the pain in his face and he could see her starting to tear up. Mackenzie didn't have an immediate response. Instead, she got up from her chair, went to her office, and came back with a notepad.

She spoke quietly. "Do you remember that first night I came back, and you told me by the elevator that you thought you had seen me in the crowd at Northwestern?"

He didn't respond. She continued.

"I was there." She slowly opened her notepad and showed him "We aren't. But we can be."

"You were there?" he asks, in a toned down voice. "Why didn't you say anything?"

"I tried, but the elevator door closed too quickly. Then the moment had passed. Will, why do you keep doing this to us? I think we have even established some trust and a friendship now. What is the point of constantly hurting both of us? Because it isn't just me anymore, I can see it on your face. Every day when Brian was here. Every time I walk into your room and we have a normal conversation or make each other laugh, it's like you shut down after realizing we are happy then go back to brooding."

"Why do you think?" he asks, taking another sip of his scotch.

She sighed. "Well, I have a few ideas. One, is that you will forever hate me and are nice to me just so you can crush me later. Two, you like being the media elite and know damn well I am one of the few EPs who can and will let you do the type of show you want. Three, that you are doing everything in your power to fight the fact that you have forgiven me and that you are just being an ass because you don't know how to tell me."

Will laughed. "At least it wasn't three I's and an A." He stood up and began to pack his bag for the break. "Get up. We are on vacation. The last thing I want to do is get drunk with my ex-girlfriend slash executive producer in my office when I can spend an entire week away from this place."

Mackenzie stood up, walked towards him, and stopped him from leaving by pushing her hand against his chest. "You are not leaving without us resolving this. Either talk to me now or fire me. I don't care. Just do it. I am not coming back here in a week to continue working in this type of atmosphere," she stubbornly said as she stood her ground.

Will rolled his eyes. "Fine. Let's talk."

"Good." She was relieved.

"But not here. Grab your stuff. If you are going to force me to have this conversation, I would rather it be in the privacy of my apartment where I am sure TMI hasn't bugged the place."

She looked at him somewhat stunned.

"Get your stuff!" Will shouted.

"Calm down, Billy. If I had known you were in such a hurry to talk about this I would have brought it up sooner."

They both smirked at each other, and some of the tension from the week had been released. Mac got her stuff and Will placed his arm on her lower back, escorting her out of the building and into his driver's car. Mac was still nervous as hell about what they were about to talk about, and about being in his apartment, just the two of them, but some of the hostility had been left behind in the office. The ride to his apartment was silent.

Will was a complete gentlemen on the way up to his apartment, as if she was one of his dates. He opened the doors, escorted her into the elevator, and upon arriving in his apartment immediately poured her what he knew was her favorite wine and set out some leftover Chinese.

Mackenzie laughed. "Just like old times. Except, now that you make enough money to throw a million out the window for the pleasure of having the contractual right to fire me, don't you think you could have some fresh food every once and a while?"

Will responded without missing a beat. "I have to stockpile my money for when I get fired for actually reporting the news as a news anchor. Come on, let's go sit down."

Mackenzie curled up with her feet under herself while Will took to his chair. Mackenzie noticed his guitar in the corner. "I really liked when you played the guitar at the party. Very sweet to see you and Jim singing together. Looks like Billy and Jimmy can start a band."

"Ha ha. Very funny," Will replied, as he smiled and took a drink. Then the conversation turned serious. "You wanted to talk. Let's talk. I cannot fathom a better way to start a vacation," he said matter of factly.

"Would you rather take more vertigo meds and head to St. Lucia together?"

"Hey, that's not a bad idea. Let me get my cheerleader on the phone and fly out tomorrow." His resolve weakened when he saw how that comment hurt her.

"Fine. Mackenzie. You know damn well I don't hate you and I don't hate having you around. Enough?"

She stared at him for a few seconds. "Do you forgive me?"

Will diverted the question. "More wine? Food?"

"No. Answer the question."

"I am going to get some more wine." He headed to the kitchen and re-filled his glass. What he didn't realize is that she had followed. There they were, standing face to face, with a question hanging over him.

"Will."

"Mac, I am trying, I am really, really trying. I forgive you and don't hate you, but I can't forget, and I can't forgive you for me not being able to forget."

She waited a moment, then shouted laughing "Well what the hell am I supposed to do with that?"


	2. Chapter 2

"Leftover Chinese food?," will responded, shoving a fork full of lo mien her way.

She cross her arms, still with a smile on her face. "Chinese food is going to fix this?"

"No, but we could eat, drink wine, and hit up a joint, thus ending this conversation."

Again, she didn't respond. She just looked into his blue eyes.

He sighed. "120 days."

"What"

"120 days. That is how many days you cheated on me," he said matter-of-factly. "120 days of you going back and forth between our beds. 120 for me to look back on and second guess every single moment we spent together, and wonder if you had just been with him, or would have rather been with him, or were faking your happiness with me. 120 days worth looking back on as to what I did wrong and what he was giving you that I wasn't or couldn't" he said, getting louder with each sentence.

Mac's eyes were wide, watering up. Quietly, "I wasn't with him every day for 120 days."

"Oh, well, then that makes everything better. I will just move on and only think of what happened for 119 days. Solving the world one day at a time." He rounded the kitchen and filled more wine.

Mac wiped a tear away from her cheek. "You did nothing wrong. I was terrified of being so close to someone. I was more scared of how well things were going with us than I ever was when I was overseas. Brian, he was just…."

Will jumped in. "Easy? Mindless? Better in bed?"

"Yes!" She exclaimed, happy he finally understood. "Wait, except the bed part."

"For a woman as smart as you are, that is the dumbest rationale I have ever heard for why you would cheat on me. I was too good to you that you needed someone to treat you like shit so you could feel safe?"

"In my defense, I never said I was smart when it came to relationships." She was doing that thing she does where she quietly defends herself when she knows it is right but that he won't agree.

"That is the understatement of the last 6 years."

"Fill me up. I have an idea," Mac said as she handed him her wine glass and started rummaging around her bag. Will did as she said and had a smirk on his face at her rushing around trying to set something up with her laptop. She looked at him with a big smile on her face as her laptop screen was on his TV.

"If this is a music video you made to pictures of us…"

She threw a pillow at him. "And if it was a secretly taped sex tape?" He smirked. "THAT should have been you opening line when you first saw me."

A worried look crossed her face. "We don't have one of those, do we? Because if TMI gets…"

"Relax, Mac. Unless you secretly made one, I sure didn't. No good newsman would document something he didn't want anyone to see", he assured in his elitist media journalist voice.

"Ok. Don't interrupt me until I finish," she ordered, holding his gaze. He gave a slight nod and she continued.

"I've hurt you. I know that. I now also know a little bit about what you have been thinking about the last four years. Whether you choose to believe me or not, me cheating on you has hurt me more. I am the one who ruined our lives. I am the one who tore your heart out, and ripped mine to shreds. You couldn't have done anything about it. I could have never done it, and I can't take it back, and I can't think of anything to do to make you look at me the way you used to or feel anything other than resentment towards me. So instead of me trying any grand romantic gestures or giving you a speech about how great we can still be, I am going to show you this. Maybe it can erase another day in your head." She watched him ease onto the couch before she hit play. She then tentatively sat next to him-not close enough to be touching, but close enough to be touched.

The screen filled with a chaotic picture of dirt, guns and men. The audio was a lot of shouting between men and a lower voice of Mackenzie asking the soldiers questions about what was going. They told her to stay low and out of the way. Of course, she didn't listen. She ordered her crew to stay low but follow her. A worried Jim briefly crossed the screen. The shot showed a group of what Will recognized immediately to be a religious protest.

"Turn it off," Will said in a level tone to Mackenzie.

She didn't move.

The video continued. "This is Mackenzie McHale reporting from the center of a Shiite protest. My sources say it is because…"

That is all she got out before a group of the protestors noticed the camera crew and headed towards them. The soldiers subdued as many as they could, but since the Shiite's were not using deadly force, they did not return fire. Mackenzie didn't stop her report and even tried to question one of the protestors in his native tongue. The soldier was too late in getting to her to cover her. She was stabbed in her side, right in the center of her rib cage.

"Turn. It. Off.," Will said, now angry at her.

"Mac, Mac, look at me," the solider ordered. She looked directly into his eyes. "Jim, where's Jim and the rest of my crew?"

"Jesus, Mac, you've been stabbed. They are fine. They are just behind us with the rest of the guys," the solider chastised.

"Listen to me Mac. You are losing a lot of blood. I don't think it hit any internal organs. Joe ran to the HumV to get his supplies. Hang in there, you are fine."

Mac looked into his eyes. "Is this the moment where I am supposed to give you that letter everyone writes to their loved ones, telling them how special they are etcetera?", she asked as she was about to pass out. "Because I don't have one of those," she said with a slight smile.

"No. You are going to be fine. You are just losing a lot of blood. Happens all the time. You are going to pass out soon, but will wake up and be just fine. Do you hear me?"

"Will. Back left pocket. McAvoy," were her last words before her eyes closed and her body went limp. The rest of the scene was as chaotic as the protest. The medic arrived and put a compress on her stomach and an IV in her arm. One of the solider carried her limp body away, and the screen went black.


	3. Chapter 3

** This chapter is short, but I know where I want to go with the next few. Wanted to wrap this part up before continuing. Thanks for reading. Also, I changed my pen name, so if you were following me as an author under the other name, I think you have to re-save me.**

Mac stared at Will in silence for what seemed like forever. She finally began to speak, "I thought if you didn't believe my words now, you would—"

"Stop. Are you really so out of touch with reality that you think I did not already see that footage? Hell, Mac, we aired clips of it as part of a lead story in our nightly newscast. Of course not the end, but I saw it. And you think I LIKED seeing you in pain? Jesus, how much do you think I hate you?"

Mac bit her lower lip. "Did you want to fly to the Middle East and save me?"

She received was a glare in response and a sarcastic comment. "Yes. I thought the best way to help you at that very moment was to get on a plane, fly to a war zone, and ruin what turned out to be one of your Peabody stories."

"Well, you could have at least sent an email."

He wiped his face with his hands. "You didn't need to show me that to prove to me that you cared about me….You didn't really write a letter did you?", he said, finally lightening his tone.

Mac moved closer to him and in a sing song voice said "Want to know what it said?"

"Better or worse than your emails?"

"So you did read them!" she exclaimed.

"No, but I read the subjects, and that was enough for me to delete on sight." He got off the couch and went for a refill of wine. "Turn that thing off, and unplug your laptop."

She did, and followed. "It said-"

"I'm serious. I don't want to know what it said."

"Why the hell not? Scared it might make you feel something?"

He didn't respond.

"Look, I know you don't hate me enough to wish me physical pain. That's not why I showed you the footage. I really thought you hearing that I was thinking about YOU even as I was about to potentially DIE, that it might make you actually feel GOOD about OUR RELATIONSHIP!"

He responded flippantly. "Ok then, I think we have finished girl talk for the night."

"Will, I don't think we are done."

"Monday, when we get back to work, before I make a comment that I know will hurt you, I will try my best to hold back."

She wasn't happy, but the night obviously wasn't going any further. "Thank you Will. I guess that is all I can ask of you isn't it?", she said dripping with disappointment evidence in her voice. Mac grabbed her stuff and rushed out before he could see how hurt she was that he wasn't going to open up to her about how he felt.


	4. Chapter 4

Author's note: Everything in Season 1 has happened by this point in the story.

Mackenzie spent that weekend in Maryland visiting her parents. Her parents were smart and the three of them always got along and had fascinating conversations, but she was never 'daddy's little girl' or 'mom's best friend'. She didn't resent this trait of their relationship—it made her the independent woman she has grown up to be. She needed to keep reminding herself of that more often-she is not co-dependent on any man. Maybe work, but not a man.

The few times her parents prodded about Will didn't bother her, really. She was fortunate they didn't spend the entire weekend grilling her about the email that got sent to the world. Her father had been an ambassador, and still had a reputation to maintain. Aside from a half hour conversation about life and love over a glass of wine outside the porch, the weekend was spent debating foreign policy and the guests Mac had booked on the show. They said their goodbyes late Sunday evening, just in time for Mac to grab the last train back to New York City. Her father told her to stay in touch and to "tell that McAvoy that if he keeps listening to you, he might actually start to look and sound like a real news anchor.' It was her father's own way of saying he was proud of her work laced with a dig about Will's journalism.

Mac spent the few short hours on the train staring out the window, trying to pin point exactly where she had gone wrong in life. It was such a grandiose attempt that she quickly narrowed "life" down to "Will", and "Will" down to the past week. It became apparent to that she was losing herself in the _idea_ of having Will forgive her and the _idea_ of them being together instead of just taking the action. She had never been a patsy before Will, and told herself at that moment she was done being one for him now. She began to give herself the pep talks of all pep talks, beating the one she gave during the power outage. She was set. She had a plan. And if she was a 'Greater Fool' for believing Will still had feelings for her and that she could get them out of him, so be it.

Will had spent the weekend in the Hamptons golfing and shooting the shit with some of his hob knobbing Republican politicians. They always had a "guys weekend" each August while Congress was out of session. Like all "guys weekends", there were only two rules: don't whine about the wives/girlfriends/broken hearts and don't tell wives/girlfriends what goes on. It was always an enjoyable weekend for Will, getting to hear about all the inner gossip on the Hill, that was, without saying, off the record. Even though he was still upset about the magazine article, Will still went because these were his real friends, or as close to friends as Will had. His buddy from the RNC had stopped by for a round of golf; Will made repeated jabs about his d-bag of a colleague and his friend just laughed and told Will he didn't know the half of it. These men may sell their souls out for money, but when push comes to shove, they do stand for something and it isn't the Tea Party's principles.

Will succeeded that weekend at drinking and not talking about Mackenzie. Will failed that weekend at hitting a decent drive off the tee and shutting Mackenzie out of his thoughts. He didn't need a shrink to tell him that his golf game was suffering because of her. Will laughed at the thought that maybe if he was able to forget about Mac betraying him, he would lower his handicap. It was motivation, at least, he thought dejectedly. Will headed home late Sunday night determined to keep her off his mind during his vacation so he could play a round of golf without being embarrassed.

Monday morning, Will woke from a loud knocking on his door. He glanced at the clock and it was 7:45 am. He got out of bed and wandered around the corner to the door. He looked through the peep hole and saw the woman he wanted to forget all about standing there, bright and early, day one of their week off.

"Go home," he said, as he opened and shut the door at the same time. He didn't shut it fast enough. The tiny woman, dressed in spandex yoga pants and a tight tank top, slid her way into the doorway.

"Good morning, William", she said in a sing song voice, as she walked right past him.

"I changed my mind. Please, come right in," he replied sarcastically.

"I brought you breakfast," she said, pointing to the bag and coffees she sat on his counter.

"I see that," he responded gruffly. "Just leave it there, I will eat it _when I wake up_," he instructed, his voice getting louder at the end.

She didn't listen. She picked up her coffee and headed to his balcony. She opened the bay doors as if she lived there, and sat down at the little table overlooking the city.

"Please, why don't you stay a while," he said again, mostly to himself this time since she was ignoring all of his snide remarks.

He was still not sure what she was doing there but knew he was standing near his door in just boxer shorts and she had walked by wearing nothing but a thin layer of fabric. He quickly shook the thought of her doing yoga in that outfit out of his head and headed to his bedroom before he embarrassed himself.

Mackenzie wasn't sure Will was coming back out of his bedroom, but she told herself to hold tight. She knew she knew him, and was confident her showing up out of the blue would be a big enough surprise for him not to ask about. Sure enough, about half way through her coffee she heard the smack of a newspaper on the table and saw a showered Will dressed in gym shorts and a t-shirt sit across from her. She was a bit disappointed he changed out of his striped boxers and put a shirt on, but it was probably for the best; she could hopefully put together a witty and playful conversation now that she wouldn't be distracted by his lack of clothing.

Mac's eyes caught his and they held each other's gaze for a few moments of silence. Will took a sip of his coffee and opened up the bag to find still-warm bagels inside. He raised his eyebrows as he took a bagel out of the bag. "So, _Mackenzie_," stressing the use of her first name, "what are you doing at 8 am, in my apartment, during my week off work?"

She smiled at the use of her first name and could tell that he was in a good mood despite his earlier actions. His face had a hint of a smile as he chewed on the bagel and looked at her. She made a grab for the newspaper, but he withheld it.

"I own you one hour a day, from 8 o'clock until 9 o'clock, Monday through Friday," she sang sweetly at him, leaning forward across the table, trying keep his gaze.

He rolled his eyes. "8 pm to 9 pm, when we actually have a news show to put on. "

"I don't believe it was discussed whether it was am or pm, or am until pm," she said, raising her voice as if asking him a question. He responded by rolling his eyes again.

That's when she made her move. She quickly swiped the newspaper out of his hand, grabbed the section on international news, and gave the remainder back. She smiled pleased with herself.

He raised his eyebrows and smirked at her.

"I told you I'm crafty," she deadpanned, clearly talking about her thievery skills. He laughed, and began to read the front page.

She grabbed a bagel for herself, flipped open the World section and began to enjoy her morning paper and coffee. The two of them sat as they had many mornings years ago, sipping coffee, eating breakfast, and passing sections of the newspaper back and forth.

Mac wasn't sure how long the perfection of the moment would last, but she was going to enjoy being in it and not think about the idea of what it could have been or where it should go.

Will still wasn't one hundred percent sure why she there or how he felt about her being there, but the temptation of coffee, the newspaper, and knowing that he was high above the hustle and bustle of a New York City Monday beat out questioning her at that moment. After all, he knew she would be there for at least 30 more minutes according to his blackberry.


	5. Chapter 5

Will broke the silence. He had finished the newspaper and couldn't think of anything better to do than taunt her. "What would you have done if I had company this morning?"

She laughed at him. "After the magazine article called you old and pompous, I took the chance that there haven't be anymore cheerleaders showing up with balloons on your doorstep."

"You still think I am cool, young vibrant woman" he retorted, throwing her own words back at her.

"I said you were cool in the middle of a meltdown. You gave me that look you know will get me to do or say anything. It doesn't count."

They were entering dangerous territory. She wondered how he would react to her hinting that he still has an effect on her.

Will looked at his watch. "Hey, look at that. It is 8:58 am and it is almost time for me to sign off for the day." Discussing their relationship or even circling around their relationship was not on his list of things to do this week.

Mac couldn't mask the hurt. He was kicking her out after the hour was up. He picked up on her disappointment immediately, and hated seeing the look on her face. He hated even more that he was the antagonist who repeatedly makes her feel that way. He figured the least he could do was engage in a bit more real conversation before getting up from the table.

"What did you think of that article on the US helping relieve Egypt of its $1 billion debt in support of democracy?"

She looked up at him, shocked that the next words out of his mouth hadn't been asking her to leave. "I think the region is still unstable, and since I am not an economist, I am not even going to fathom why we would help pay $1 billion of another country's debt when ours is in the trillions."

"It seems that Obama is carrying on the Bush Doctrine of pushing for democracy. Maybe we should cover this issue on the show next week?"

"I will make a mental note of it. We could also have Kalid back on the show to report on how stable or unstable Egypt is," she responded. Talking about politics and the show was always easy with Will.

"Kalid. Yeah, I liked that kid. He did a good job," Will said, nodding his head in agreement with her idea.

"We are just lucky he wasn't hurt," Mac said sincerely. "Those protests can get pretty out of hand, and once a camera is spotted, people think it is their chance to make their story known." Mac thought back to the years she spent covering such stories, and how much she had missed Will during those times. She looked down at her blackberry, and noticed that it was well past 9 am.

"Well, I better get going. I want to get my run in before it gets too hot," she said, getting up from her chair and quickly grabbing her blackberry and iPod. She needed to get out of there before she spilled her feelings to him. That was not in her plan for the week. She wanted to keep things fun and light spirited.

Will stood of up with her, surprised that she was leaving without him making another sarcastic comment about the time. He wondered if he had done something wrong to make her feel uncomfortable. He figured it had something to do with being in a war zone, but she obviously didn't want to talk about it. Fuck it, he thought. It's not like he would have to see her the rest of the week.

"What did the letter say?"

"What?"

"The letter. In your back left pocket. What did it say?", he asked, wishing he had on jeans so he could shove his hands into his pockets to feign less interest in what it actually said. He didn't know why he wanted to know what the letter said. It was most likely filled with apologies and I love yous. Probably something Dr. Habib could analyze for hours. The contents of the letter had been bugging him for most of the weekend. In fact, it had bugged him since he saw the footage the first time.

"What did the voicemail say?," she said, tilting her head.

He laughed. "Well played, Mac. Have a nice run. Try not to trip on your own feet. I don't want to find out that some stranger had to carry you to the hospital."

He escorted her the rest of the way to the door and opened it for her. She stopped before exiting all the way. "At least it wasn't death by jellyfish."

"What?" he asked, confused.

"That's what the letter said. At least it wasn't death by jellyfish." She turned and walked away, knowing she had just gotten the best of him by the shocked but amused look on his face.


	6. Chapter 6

Hello all- I haven't responded to comments individually because I didn't know that it was common practice. I thank all of you for reading and hope it brings a few moments of entertainment to you. I will respond to comments going forward. -G

Will spent the rest of day wandering throughout his apartment, staring outside, fiddling around on his guitar, reading Rhonda's webpage, and flipping between news stations. Mac's appearance that morning had thrown him off his game. There went his week of not thinking about her. In fact, he was thinking about her more now than he did when they were working together. He really had enjoyed the morning despite his gruffness. It was always nice to have food delivered. It was also nice to have someone around in the morning to just be with. It was always easy just "being" with Mackenzie, even when the two were arguing. It was natural. More than once that afternoon he rested his head in his hands and rubbed his face. What was he going to do? He had forgiven her, but there was still so much he needed to say about the betrayal. He took a small step forward when he asked what had been in the letter. To say it wasn't what he expected would be an understatement. Why would she have only written that? Did she not miss him while over there? He got rid of that thought quickly, remembering his name was the last word out of her mouth before she passed out. Plus all the voicemails and emails he had ignored.

He was driving himself mad. It was close to 8 pm, his favorite time of the day when he could forget everything else and get into his zone. Tonight he had nothing to do. He was all alone and even worse, he was lonely. Before Mackenzie came back, he was indifferent to having friends around. Charlie was his only real friend in the City; the rest were friends due to occupation or women he had gone out with a few times. Before he could stop himself, he picked up his phone.

He heard the voice that haunted his dreams. "Miss me?" she asked teasingly.

He needed answers to the many questions that nagged at him all day. "Is that really what the letter said?"

She immediately picked up his serious tone. This was no time to jerk his chain. "Yes," she said succinctly.

There was a pause of silence. "Will, are you ok?"

"Yes." He paused, then asked "Why did you write that?" He was interrogating her. She was on cross-examination.

"Will, do you want to do this over the phone or in person?"

"If I wanted to do it in person I would have showed up at your doorstep," he said testily.

"Calm down, Billy. It was just a question," she sighed, hoping she could provide an answer that would answer his question.

"I will answer your question, but you cannot interrupt." She could practically see him nodding his head in assent.

"I ran away to the war zone to escape all chances of running into you or seeing you with another woman. I think you already know that. When I was there, I couldn't stop thinking about you, which you probably figured out by the multiple emails and voicemails you received. When there wasn't any action or we were travelling on relatively safe roads, my mind would drift off to all the good times we had together and how monumentally stupid I was for trying to figure out my insecurities and feelings for you by sleeping with Brian, of all men, who is not even half the man you are. But, being with you was…how do I put this…wonderful and terrifying at the same time." She took a breath. She didn't know if she wanted him to interrupt or remain silent. All she heard was a sigh from him. So she continued.

"I poured my heart out to you in those emails, and cried into the phone on the voicemails, begging you to call me so I could just hear your voice or know that you were okay. My emotions were on overdrive and every feeling was heightened by the lack of sleep, stress, and loneliness. Having Jim around helped, but the nightmares of the look in your eyes when I told you wouldn't stop. I swear, I have more nightmares about that day than I ever have about being stabbed." She took another short breath. She couldn't hear anything on the other end.

Quietly, she asked if he was still there. He responded with a low, whispered "yes."

"I have been rambling. You probably didn't want to know all of that. Back to the topic. I knew we were going into a hot zone a few months before we headed towards the center of the conflict. All of the men were checking to make sure their buddies knew to send their letters and grab their dog tags. One of them asked me if I had a letter. I told him that I hadn't written one, but had kept in touch with people through email while I had been reporting. He asked me if I had written to "that McAvoy guy you sometimes talk about in your sleep". I stared at him, not realizing that I had been talking in my sleep. He told me I should write something; that it would make me feel better. I took out my notepad and a pen, for lack of anything better to do. I made the decision that, even though you had not responded to even one of my attempts to reach you, that my last words to you would not be that of self-pity or undying love. I didn't want you to remember me as the monster who ruined your life, just like you have done with your father. I had wanted nothing more during those years to see your smiling face. I didn't want to be the one to ever make you have that sad look in your eyes again, even in my death. If I was going to be killed in action, I wanted your last memory of me to be that I made you laugh and smile, even if was using a clichéd jellyfish joke. Pretty stupid, huh?" she laughed in self-deprecation.

He didn't laugh back, or even make a sound, but he had not hung up. She waited, taking long, slow breaths, realizing she had just revealed to him details about the lost years of their lives.

"It would have worked. The note, you know, the death by jellyfish comment. It would have made me laugh," he said reassuringly. He paused, then spoke quietly again "I am glad I never had to read it."

There was more silence before he screamed into the phone, startling her: "How can you be so brilliant but at the same time such a STUPID COWARD to run off into a war zone just to get away from me? Did you ever think to maybe stick around, let's say FOUR YEARS AGO, and fight for me?" His voice changed to one of defeat. "It would have saved me a hell of a lot of money on therapy and antidepressants. Go ahead and ask Dr. Habib. He has an entire file cabinet all about your affair and how I want to be with you but don't want to be that guy who goes back to the girl who cheated on him then gets his heart deep fried again."

There. He was happy. He got another load off his chest-that she left without even trying. And now she knew how hard he had and still is trying to work through his issues with her. It was satisfying, until he heard a soft sniffle on the other end. He couldn't stand hurting her, and he didn't even have to see her face.

"Mac, did you hear what just I said? In a perverse, twisted-way, I just told you what my voicemail said." He knew she would be smiling at the realization of what he said. He waited for it to fully reach her heart and brain. T

"If I thought I had a fighting chance four years ago, I would have stayed, but we both know it would have been hell for both of us to live in this City and run into each other. The few few months of being back in town are proof of how well that would have worked out."

"Will?"

"Right here."

"You listen to me, and imagine I am right up in your face, inches from your nose as I say this-I will never intentionally hurt you or break your trust again, you have to know that," she said sternly.

He waited a beat before he responded. "I never compared you to my father, and I do trust you." That was it. It was all on the table. He was emotionally spent. She wasn't saying anything in response to his final bombshell.

"I don't know about you, but this has been way more exhausting than trying to figure out all of the lies of the Tea Party candidate," he joked, trying to lighten the tone of the call before they hung up.

"You're right, it is getting late for an old man like you. You'd be off the air by now and Lonny would have tucked you in already. Just remember you called me, when you are cranky that you didn't get enough sleep. Goodnight, Will," she said sweetly, without any teasing in her voice.

"Goodnight, Mac, try not to talk too much in your sleep about me," he retorted.

They both went to bed with lighter heads and hearts than they had in years. They were at the tipping point, and each wondered what would happen the next time they saw each other.


	7. Chapter 7

Hi- I didn't use as many descriptives for their words, so use your imagination. Chalk it up to laziness or indecisiveness.

Tuesday passed quickly, both knowing the other had prior engagements with friends they hadn't seen in ages because of their hectic work schedule. The spoke briefly around 8pm, Mac mainly reminding him that she stilled owned him, but was choosing to let him off the hook for the day. He laughed, and they said their goodnights.

Mac was nervous when she woke up Wednesday morning. Both opened themselves to being vulnerable two days prior, albeit not in person. They had taken a big step forward with their questions and confessions. She wanted to do her best to not make things awkward after the intense talk, and decided to stick to the plan she devised Sunday night. She looked out the window and saw that it was raining. There went her morning run to process her thoughts. She checked her watch and realized she had to get dressed. On such a miserable, rainy summer day, she threw on an old tshirt and extremely expensive cut-off pants. Why she paid so much money for a pair of sweats she could have just cut herself was beyond her. She loved to shop, and they seemed like a great buy at the time.

Mackenzie arrived at Will's apartment at 7:45am. She knocked on the door just as she had done two days prior, and instead of him answering, she heard him yell "come in." She hesitantly opened the door and walked in. Will was laying on the couch in the same gym outfit as Monday.

"Morning."

"Morning" he said, not looking away from the TV. "If you didn't bring breakfast, I will tack on an extra 20 minutes on the end of your hour of control so you can fetch me some food and coffee."

"Thanks, boss, but I came prepared." She walked towards the couch and placed a bag of muffins on the table and held out his coffee. He took it, touching her hand and allowing his hand to linger on hers for just long enough for her to know it was affection.

Mac took a spot in one of his uncomfortable chairs and looked towards the TV. "I see you are catching up on the important news."

"Baseball Tonight is very important. The top ten worst plays are about to come on, so why don't you go get us the newspaper and stop interrupting."

"I never understand why they call it Baseball Tonight when they re-air it every morning."

"Did you not hear what I said before?"

She laughed and purposefully walked in front of the TV to block his view. He smirked.

She found the paper on the counter and pulled out the crossword. She wandered into his office to grab a pen. He was completely oblivious and wrapped up in grown men missing ground balls. She sipped on her coffee and started in on the crossword puzzle. She wasn't addicted to them, but used to do them with her father. Wednesday's were usually pretty easy, so she figured she would be able to finish most of it without feeling stupid. Pop culture clues were always going to be her demise.

At 8:30, when ESPN returned to Sportscenter, Will look up from the couch and saw her at the kitchen counter not reading the paper.

"I am ready for my paper. You must have finished that easy crossword by now, leaving all of the TV and movie questions blank."

"You are being very demanding this morning, Billy. Play nice or I will take your food away."

"I will play a lot nicer when you bring the paper here."

Mac hopped off the chair and brought the paper over, handing it to him, ready to take her seat in the chair. He sat up and lightly touched her forearm. "I don't want to have to reach all the way over to the chair to exchange sections of the paper. Just sit here on the couch."

It was the best excuse he could come up with to get her to sit near him. Things were a bit awkward from Monday night, but both were doing their best to ignore it ever happened. She bit her lip and sat down, sinking slightly towards him as his body weight lowered the couch cushion.

"Hand me a muffin and…"

Before she could finish, he gave her the international section, then got her a muffin. They sat and read the paper cover-to-cover, exchanging looks when they thought the other was not looking. Will finished the paper first.

"Going for a run today?"

"Have you even looked outside yet? It is pouring down rain."

He shrugged. Baseball Tonight was coming back up on the TV.

"Guess it is 9 am. Time for me to leave you to your own devises for the day."

He walked her to do the door and she turned to face him. She took a step towards him, reaching her arms out to go under his for a hug. She couldn't help herself after Monday night. She needed to physically feel some of the things he had said to her. He took a step towards her, allowing her to wrap herself around his body, pulling her closer and holding her tight. They didn't say anything to each other as they pulled away. He brought his large hand to her tiny face, palming the entire right side of her face in his. He stared into her eyes. She stared back, looking from one eye to the other, biting her lip and smiling, asking him a question without saying a word.

He leaned to give her a kiss, but chickened out before he reached her lips. He gave her a lingering kiss on her cheek. His forehead leaned against hers as he did it, and as his hand had moved up to her hair, she closed her eyes and let herself relax against his lips and head. Those movements conveyed more than a quick peck on the lips.

It was her turn to move her hands up to his face. She placed her hand on his cheek and moved his face so his lips were in front of hers. She ran her finger up and down his cheek, not believing that they were standing this close and not yelling at each other. His arms were still wrapped around her back. It didn't take much for her to close the gap. She opened her mouth just enough that she could get her lips to cover his bottom lip. It was slow, sensual, apologetic and emotional. He didn't resist the kiss, reciprocating her movements.

Mac pulled back for air, leaning her head into his chest again. He engulfed her.

"Mac."

"Yes, Billy?

"I have to go."

"Oh, sorry. I didn't mean to keep you."

He rolled his eyes. "Stop cowering. You know you didn't keep me from anything. Well, at least after you give me a few minutes to, uh, adjust, you will not have kept me from anything."

She looked down and up, a feeling of pride showing up on her face.

He rolled his eyes again. "I'm human."

"Where are you going?"

"Dr. Habib," he said matter-of-factly.

"Going to go pour your heart out about me?"

He titled his head to the side. "Grab your purse. You are coming with me."

"What? No. Why? I don't need your shrink to tell me what you already told me. I believe you. And I am not exactly dressed to make a first impression, especially after all the horrible things you have told him."

"You look fine. Just grab your purse. It's time for me to throw him off his game. He is always so smug when he helps me make a break through."

"And you think he isn't going to think that you dragging me along with you is a break through?"

"True. But you are coming. You can leave if you get uncomfortable." That was the end of the battle.

He went into his bedroom and changed into jeans and a tshirt. He put his arm around her shoulders, giving her no choice but to walk with him. She could never say no to him, anyway. It might be interesting, to say the least.


	8. Chapter 8

Sorry for the delay. Thank you for the comments and the stories you are all posting up.

Mac was dreading Will's therapy session. She was fidgeting, twisting her hair, and tapping her feet on the ground in the waiting room. Will sat adjacent to her, laughing every so often.

The door opened. Both stood up.

"I brought you a new toy to play with today."

"I see that. Please, come in."

Once in the office, Dr. Habib approached Mackenzie. "Ms. McHale, I presume?"

"Yes, nice to meet you."

"Please take a seat."

Will pulled a chair next to his regular chair, and motioned for Mac to sit down.

"Ms. McHale. I have heard a lot about you. It is nice to finally put a face to the name. I have been telling Will that while I have read his files, it would be nice to meet you."

She smiled politely, gave a courtesy, and as taking her chair spoke. "I'm sure you have," she said quietly.

"So, let's begin the session. Will, why did you bring Ms. McHale with you?"

"First, call her Mac. Let's personalize it, as you always say. Second, I…"

Mac stood up, holding her hands.

"Hold on. Just wait." She took a deep breath. "I need to say something before whatever it is that is going to be said." Will look amused, as she directed her attention to the shrink.

"I know that you allegedly have filing cabinets full of all the horrible things I have done to Will. Most of it is true. I cheated on Will by crawling into bed with my ex-boyfriend, but what he refuses to understand is that while with Brian, I realized how much I loved Will. I can't get it through his thick head. I did the worst thing possible to him, knowing some of his family history. I ran away to a war zone to try to forget him, and it didn't lessen my feelings for him." She was starting to twist into a frenzy. The doctor was ready to stop her.

"You aren't able to stop Mac once she gets like this," Will warned.

Mac continued, ignoring the interaction that had just taken place between the two.

"I take 98% of the blame for the demise of our relationship, but Will wasn't perfect either. I can't put into words why he wasn't perfect, but still, only 98%..."

"Why do you say?"

Will shook his head 'no' at the doctor.

Mac started to speak louder. "And here I am, have been for almost two years now, and I have taken every punishment he can think of. Did he tell you all of the things he has done since I returned? He has repeatedly made comments in front of the staff about my cheating, comments during commercial breaks about me not sleeping with my ex-boyfriend, yelling at me in front of all of my employees about how I moved on three and a half years ago and never told him, which is not true, by the way. I have never moved on from him. He either doesn't understand or refuses to understand that I was in love with him then and am in love with him now. Moreover.."

"Of course there is more," Will said, starting to laugh.

"Shut up, Billy. You brought me here. I should have a chance to give my piece before I get picked apart. Anyway, where was I. Punishment. Yes. Did you know he showed me the engagement ring he bought me? I didn't spend _any_ time since then wondering when he would have proposed, how he would have proposed, and where we would be today. Then there is Brian. He brought my ex-boyfriend to watch us for who knows how long. He admitted he did it to punish me and to give me a side-by-side comparison, as if I didn't know that Will is 10 times the man Brian is. Brian was a drunk dial. And to put the final dagger through my heart, Will gets sick, I stay by his bedside every minute possible during his stay, and he tells me about some mysterious voicemail where I think he confessed something important about his feelings for me, and he REFUSES to tell me what was on it and why he said it. We've had two perfect mornings together, just like old times. Then we kiss this morning, out of nowhere, it gets cut short, and he decides to bring me here, in an outfit that screams I am a mess, for who knows why." She was out of breath when she finished. She took her seat.

Dr. Habib took a look at both of them. "That is a lot to take in in two minutes."

"Will, you brought Ms., Mac, here for a reason. Why?"

"Good question, I am still wondering the same thing," Mac stated.

"You told me you couldn't fully understand things and help me unless you met her."

"I did say that, but why today?"

"Because we kissed, and, well, how the hell do I know? You are the professional."

"Okay, let me start with a few ground rules. Will, can I ask you any questions, in the presence of Mac, about things you have told me, and you agree to answer?"

"Sure, why not. _I can't possibly _see how this can go badly."

"Mac, are you sure you want to hear his answers?"

"No. I honestly don't want to be here. But, what choice do I have? If I didn't come, he would hold it against me and ignore me for days. Maybe this will be helpful, though I expect an emotional beat down by both of you."

"I will do my best for that not to happen. Will, Mac brought up the ring you showed her. I want you to tell her about it. Mac, I already told Will what he did was not normal."

"Really? You are going to start with the biggest secret and punishment, other than Brian, that I have done?"

"Will," she looked him in the eyes. "Billy, what did you?"

He looked at the ground. "I knew that Charlie told you to vet me, and I knew that you were going to find out about the Fox offer, so I…"

"So you, what, Will?"

"I looked online, found a ring I knew you would love, and sent my business manager to go to Tiffany's and buy it."

Both could see the pain on Mac's face. "I can't believe you would do that! You hate me that much? Were you ever going to propose? Or was my cheating on you just an excuse for you to end things with me, without you having to be the bad guy?" Mac got up and started pacing the room, face flushed with anger and potential tears ready to fall.

Dr. Habib jumped in. "Mac, I want you know that he and I have talked about this, and.."

"Wait. There is one thing I didn't tell you, doc. I tore up the receipt. Later that day, after my session with you, I tore up the receipt. The ring is still in my desk."

"Why did you tear up the receipt?"

Mac stopped pacing, but didn't sit down. She crossed her arms and waited for his response.

"I don't know. I was hoping you could answer that. Mac, please, please sit down. I know I just hurt you by saying this, but I was being a jerk back then."

"That is an understatement. And you still are sometimes. Why did you tear up the receipt?"

"I don't know."

"Was it because you were saving it to propose to someone else in the future? I did say any woman would say yes if you gave her that ring."

"I could never, and would never, propose to another woman with a ring I picked out for you, even if it was just to piss you off. Jump in anytime here, you seem to be doing nothing but writing down more notes."

"You seem to be doing fine yourself. I think that was a huge step, Will. You not returning the ring. But did you tear it up to remind you of her betrayal and punish both of you or because you had hope of being with her one day."

Mac bore into Will's eyes, hoping for the answer she wanted to hear. He turned his head, facing her while he answered. "Back then, it was to remind me of the life we could have had and how _she_ had ruined it."

"And now?"

"Can we please move on to something else?"

"No. Answer the question," Dr. Habib and Mac said at the same time.

Will wiped his face. "Really, let's move on and ask her some questions."

"Billy, answer the fucking question," Mac demanded.

The shrink leaned forward, looking at Will. "Will, here is a chance to take a step forward. You would tell me if she wasn't here, and I would file it away in that cabinet. If you want to move forward, whether it is with or without her, I know you know why you tore up that receipt. Why do you still have the ring?"

Will turned to Mac. "I told you that I have forgiven you, but I can't forgive you for telling me and making me think of you and him together. Doogie Howser here tells me that I am not upset about you rejecting me, but that you betrayed me."

Mac let out a sigh. "I lied to you for four months."

"Yes."

"Will, why do you still have the ring? You could have sold it, donated it, thrown it in the river, at any point after you tore up the receipt."

"You aren't going to give up until I answer this question are you?"

"We can spend the rest of your session sitting here waiting for the answer."

The room was silent for a few minutes. It was as if time stood still. Mac wasn't going to stop looking at him with a half smile on her face and her bottom lip between her teeth. "Just tell me what you are feeling."

He shrugged his shoulders. "A few weeks and after I tore up that receipt, we grew closer. You are the only person I trust being in my ear every night." He paused before continuing. "I have been hoping that I can work through all of my issues and…" He stopped.

She didn't need him to finish. She grabbed his hand in hers and squeezed it.

"Good, Will. That's good."

Mac spoke to break the awkward pause. "Did you know that one of the things that is keeping this idiot from being with me is that he doesn't want to be 'that guy' who takes a woman back after she cheats on him. I guess that is my fault, since I sent an email that went viral. Everyone on the staff is rooting for us, though. More than one has told me he is being a jerk because he loves me."

"Will, may I?"

"Like I could stop you if I wanted to," he resigned.

"Will you ever betray Will again?"

"Of course not! At least not intentionally, maybe at work when he goes off on some stupid tangent or puts in a clip I don't want him to air and I pull it, but no, never intentionally when it comes to his heart."

"Will, do you believe her?"

"Yes."

"This has been a productive session. I will see you next week, Will."

"Hold on!" Mac and Will said simultaneously. Mac bowed her head to Will to let him speak. "You are ending the session now? Where does that leave us? She is still feeling guilty and thus letting me walk all over her, I am not over the betrayal, but we kissed, and from that kiss, we both know that we want more. Tell us what to do. I will pay you double."

"I can't tell you what to do. But I can tell you to do what your brain and heart want you to do. I think your brain is starting to catch up. Go to those Al-Anon meetings. It will help with a lot of your issues. Ms. McHale, it was nice to meet you." He stood up to escort them out of his office.

Mac curtsied as she left. "Thank you."

"Yeah. This really helped," he said sarcastically.

"See you next week," Dr. Habib said with a smirk on his face.


	9. Chapter 9

Hello. All of the other stories have them taking this slow...I took a different approach.

Mac walked out of the office calmly, though her insides were in a twisted ball of sadness and rage. Will knew the moment he looked at her face that this had been a bad idea.

In a low, almost deadly tone: "I am going home now. I need some space."

"Mac, come on, it was a joke and I tore up the receipt. Can't we just go grab a coffee and go back to how we were this morning?"

"I am going home. You've had months to work through this whole ring issue. I haven't even had five minutes. Please, let me go home. I will let you know when I am ready to see you again. I really need to work some things out in my head right now." Mac started to walk away, but Will grabbed her arm. He twisted her around so she was facing him. He gave her a slow, tender kiss on the lips. She didn't reciprocate. She walked out without saying another word.

Mac wandered the streets of New York despite the rain. When she got back to her place, she was soaked. She poured herself a glass of wine and sat in a hot bath. Her eyes were shut as she remembered every detail of that day he showed her the ring. The setting, the cut of the diamond, the size of the surrounding diamonds. It really was a beautiful ring. Like she had said, any woman would be lucky to have it. It was kind of large for her taste. Men have an ego when it comes to rings—the bigger the ring they buy, the more stature they have among other men. Since Will didn't put much thought it into, she would never want to wear that ring. It was generic and filled with hate, not love. She got out of the bath, put on her most comfortable outfit, and zoned out the rest of the day.

Will left the therapist's office in a terrible mood. Why did he have to pull that stunt with the ring? Why did the doctor make him talk about it? Why did he say that he tore up the receipt? He thought that would lessen her pain. It didn't. Did he just lose her forever? He never should have brought her to that stupid therapy session. At least he now had no more secrets, and the therapist had been there to lessen the Mac's reaction. Will didn't want to have that stupid ring around anymore. Maybe he should just throw it into the river. He went into his office and got the ring, tossing it back and forth between his hands. Then he remembered something Mac had told him after she met with her army friends.

It was Thursday morning and Mac still wasn't feeling any less emotional or hurt. The anger had gone away. She was slipping into a depression. This week was supposed to be perfect and now it was an internal hell. Around 1pm, she received a phone call from her friend Jake. Jake had been the one to save her life all those years ago.

"Hi Mac."

"Hi Jake, what's up? Everything okay?"

"Yeah, more than okay, actually."

"Ok.."

"So, I got this package hand delivered to me last night. It came with a card," he said hesitantly.

"Oh yeah, what was the package?"

"I diamond ring."

"WHAT?"

"Can you believe it? It is this huge diamond ring from Tiffanys. The card said something like 'Thanks for saving Mac. Heard you are going to propose to your girlfriend. This ring should do the trick. Best of luck, that guy Mac talked about in her sleep."

Mac was stunned. She didn't know how to respond.

"Mac? Are you still there?"

"Yeah, I am here. That ring—that ring is from Will McAvoy." She lied to Jake, not wanting him to feel bad. "I guess it is his way of saying thank you. He always had good taste in jewelry."

"I can't accept this. It is waaayyy too much."

"Jake, trust me. You can't say no to Will. Just appreciate the gesture and I hope she says yes. Make sure to invite me to the wedding. I cannot imagine what you will look like all cleaned up in a tux!"

"Haha, very funny. Will you tell him thank you for me?"

"Absolutely. Let me know when she says yes."

"Thanks again, Mac."

Mac slumped into her couch. So he gave the ring away. Must not have any intention on marrying her now. Or he took the advice from the day before and got rid of it. She couldn't read his mind anymore. He could have done it for a thousand reasons. At least he didn't throw it in the river. She knew Jake was madly in love and that he girlfriend will love the ring. Not many military men can afford rent let alone a ring upwards of $30,000. Mac couldn't handle another day of misery. She laid down, turned on C-span, and fell into a restless sleep.

She awoke to a soft knock on the door. She glanced at the clock. It was 4pm. Had she really slept for 3 hours in the middle of the day? Apparently so. She knew who was at the door, and that he would wait outside the door if he thought she wasn't home. She might as well get the conversation over with. She padded to the door and opened it. She let him in without saying a word.

He took a look at her groggy eyes. "Hi," he said sheepishly.

"Hi," she returned in the same manner.

"I fucked up, Mac. I am so sorry."

"I know. And I know what you did for Jake. Thank you."

"You're not upset that I gave the ring away?"

"I never want to see that stupid ring again. Why did you give it away?"

"I never wanted to see that ring again, either."

They stood there silently. Mac walked over to the couch, allowing him to follow.

"Mac, I…"

"You what? Are the biggest idiot on the planet?"

"Well, yes. But that isn't what I was going to say. There are no more secrets. That was the only thing you didn't know about my months of punishment."

"Good to know. Now I can look forward to future punishments and don't have to worry about ghosts coming out of the closet."

Another awkward pause. Will didn't know what to say.

"Billy, did you mean it when you said you loved me? Or were you trying to lessen the blow of the ring thing."

"Yeah."

"Do you love me?"

"Of course, you bafoon."

"Do you forgive me for the ring stunt?"

"I am still processing it. I will get over it. I can get over anything as long as I know you are with me."

"Move in with me."

"What?"

"Move in with me. If we are going to do this, let's do it. I don't want to dance around and waste any more time."

"Have you lost your mind? Or have I lost mine? Did you really just ask me to move in with you, after two years of fighting, almost four years of no contact, and one kiss?"

"This kiss was pretty amazing."

She playfully slapped him on the shoulder. "Are you sure about this? You know I can't say no to it."

"Nope, not completely sure."

"That is reassuring. What happens if I move in and you realize you don't trust me?"

"You said you will never hurt me again. I am going to have to believe you, or we are both going to be miserable for the rest of our lives, wondering 'what if?'"

"This is moving way too fast."

"Yeah," he said with a laugh.

"We still have a lot to talk about."

"I knew you were going to bring that up. It will be a lot easier on your to pester me and borage me with questions if we live together. You can annoy me every morning and every evening. We don't even have to get out of bed."

"So this is for my convenience?"

"Yes and no. This is because I don't think I can keep my hands off of you now that we kissed Tuesday morning. I don't want to go backwards. I don't want to take things slow. I don't want to date. I suck at dating. I want you."

"You are impatient."

"You love that about me."

She rolled her eyes. "Ok, let's do this."

"Really?"

"Why the hell not. I have made bigger and dumber mistakes in my life. Promise there are no more secrets?"

"Promise. You?"

"Not that I can think of right now. So, when do you foresee me moving in?"

"The movers will be here tomorrow at 8am to pack up and move your stuff. You don't have to lift a finger."

"What?"

"I knew you wouldn't say no," he said as he pulled her in for a hug.

"You always did have a way of doing things."


End file.
